Chapter 4 - The File That Could Destroy Roman Castell
Senator Malcolm Bishop arrived upstairs seven minutes later.
He did not knock.
“What the hell is happening?”
Chloe turned immediately.
“Dad.”
Roman remained behind his desk.
Tessa stood near the window.
Marco guarded the door.
Bishop pointed at Roman.
“You humiliated my daughter.”
Roman poured himself water.
“Your daughter planned to dismantle my organization after the wedding.”
Bishop’s face remained remarkably calm.
“Careful.”
Tessa noticed.
No surprise.
That told her everything.
“You knew,” she said.
Bishop turned.
“You must be Miss Hayes.”
“You knew about Elias Mercer.”
“I know hundreds of people.”
Tessa opened her laptop.
“Do you know account 7118?”
Bishop’s expression flickered.
Roman saw it.
Tessa continued.
“Geneva. Shell company named Fairmont Agricultural Holdings.”
Bishop said nothing.
“Interesting name for a company that has never owned agricultural property.”
Chloe whispered, “Dad?”
Bishop glared at Tessa.
“Where did you get that?”
“From your daughter.”
Chloe spun around.
“What?”
Tessa held up the drive.
“You stole exactly what I wanted you to steal.”
Bishop looked at Chloe.
“You plugged it in?”
Chloe’s face went pale.
Tessa nodded.
“The moment she connected the drive to her phone, it copied the directory of every secure application authorized on her device.”
Roman looked impressed despite himself.
“You can do that?”
“I can.”
“You never mentioned it.”
“You never asked.”
Bishop stepped toward her.
Marco immediately moved between them.
Tessa continued.
“Your daughter’s phone contained authentication software for Fairmont Agricultural Holdings.”
Chloe looked at her father.
“You told me that was campaign money.”
Bishop’s face hardened.
“Be quiet.”
Roman leaned forward.
“What is Fairmont?”
Tessa answered.
“A financial bridge.”
“To what?”
She turned the screen.
“Payments to port officials. Contractors. Investigators.”
Another click.
“And three federal consultants.”
Roman studied the list.
“They were building a case against me.”
“Not exactly.”
Tessa opened another file.
“They were building a case that looked like it was against you.”
Roman’s eyes lifted.
Bishop finally looked nervous.
Tessa pointed at several transfers.
“The money moves through Castell-controlled ports, but the originating accounts belong to Bishop intermediaries.”
Marco understood first.
“They were setting Roman up.”
“Yes.”
Chloe backed away from her father.
“You said we were forcing him into cooperation.”
Bishop snapped, “This was bigger than you.”
Roman stood.
“You intended to marry your daughter to me, gain access to my organization, move illegal funds through my infrastructure, and hand investigators evidence with my name on it.”
Bishop’s voice hardened.
“You were becoming too powerful.”
Roman stared at him.
“So you wanted me imprisoned.”
“Removed.”
Chloe whispered, “Dad.”
Bishop ignored her.
Roman looked toward Tessa.
“If you had left tonight?”
She understood the question.
“Within six months, you probably would have been indicted.”
“And if I married Chloe?”
“Sooner.”
Roman gave a cold laugh.
“The strategic marriage.”
Tessa said nothing.
Bishop straightened his jacket.
“You think you’ve won?”
Roman’s eyes narrowed.
Bishop smiled.
“There’s another file.”
Tessa’s expression sharpened.
“What file?”
“The one Mercer already has.”
Roman stepped around the desk.
Bishop smiled wider.
“The one containing every murder, payoff, shipment, and disappearance associated with the Castell name for fifteen years.”
Marco swore under his breath.
Bishop looked directly at Roman.
“If anything happens to me, it goes public.”
Roman stopped.
Tessa asked, “Where is Mercer?”
Bishop smiled.
“You’ll never find him.”
Tessa closed her laptop.
Roman looked at her.
“What?”
She grabbed her coat.
“You heard him.”
“Yes.”
“We don’t need to find the file.”
“Then what are we doing?”
Tessa opened the door.
May you like
“We’re finding Mercer.”
---
